Book-signature gatherer.



W. A. LA 80R.

BOOK SIGNATURE GATHEREB.

(No Model.)

(Application filed Nov. 24, 1899.\

Patented Jan. 8, MN.

5 Shasta-Sheet l.

FIG-1.

WITNESSES M fl INVENTOH No. 665,789. Patehted him.- a; l90l.

W. A. LA SOB. 800K SIGNATURE GATHEBEB.

(Applicltion filed Nov. 24, 1899.) (No Modal.) 5 Sheets-Shae! 2 in:norms PETERS co, FHOTO-LITNQ. WASHINGTON 0. c

No. 665,789. Patented Ian. 8, IBM. W. A. LA 808.

BOOK SIGNATURE GATHERER.

(Application filed Nov. 24, 1899.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.

I; ||||||llll| W/ TNE SSE S STATES WILLIAM ALLEN LA SOR, OF R-AHWAY, NEWJERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,789, dated January8, 1901;

Application filed November 24,1899- Sarial No. 738,139. (No model.)

To rtZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM ALLEN LA SOR, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Rahway, in the county of Union and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBook-Signature Gatherers, of which the following is a full and completespecification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to book-signature gatherers whereby thesignatures or sections of books are gathered previous to binding thesame. At present this work is generally performed manually, the severalsections of the book being taken from different piles or lots, and itoften occurs that the assembling is inaccurately performed and theresultant book is either abridged or parts thereof are duplicated. I amaware that machines of this class have been heretofore constructed; butI am not aware that such machines operate with the required accuracy andefficiency.

My invention consists in the construction and arrangement of partshereinafter specified, and comprises a positively, accurately, andspeedily operating machine by which signatures may be accuratelygathered.

My invention consists in the construction and arrangement of partshereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inwhich like reference characters denote like parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a front elevation of an assembling-machine constructedaccording to my invention and cut away transversely; Fig. 2, a sideelevation thereof; Fig. 3, a plan view thereof; Fig. 4, an enlarged viewof a portion of Fig. 2, partly in section; Fig. 5, a rear view of thegrippers shown in the other views and upon an enlarged scale; Fig. 6, aplan view thereof cut away; Fig. 7, a side view thereof, and Fig. 8 aside view of an improved clutch-operating device connected with thepower-shaft of the machine.

In the practice of my invent-ion I provide a power-shaft 10, which issuitably journaled and driven and which extends rearwardly of themachine and is operatively connected with a main shaft 11 bybevel-gears12 and 13, and the main shaft 11 extends longitudinally ofthe machine, which is provided with end supports 14, in which the mainshaft is journaled at 15 15.

Mounted upon the end supports 14 is alongitudinally-arranged casing 16,and a longitudinal frame member 17 connects the tops of the end supports14:, as shown in Fig. 3. The casing 16 is rectangular in form, open atthe top, and provided at the front with vertical spaced walls 18,whereby alternate vertical openings 19 are formed, and the openingsprovide communication with compartments in the casing 16, formed byvertical transverse partitions 20. (Shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and indotted lines in Fig. 1.) The front walls 18 are cut away at the bottomat 21, Fig. 1.

In the compartments formed in the casing l6'by the partitions 20 arestacked the parts to be assembled, in the present instance booksections22. The sections 22 are omitted from the showing in Fig. 1 for the sakeof clearness.

As shown in Fig. 4, within and at the bottom of each of the compartmeuts of the casing 16 is secured a forwardly-projecting springplate23, in connection with the forward end of which operates anadjusting-screw 24, passed through the bottom of said casing.

Bolted to the ends of the casing 16 at each end of the machine at 25 isa forwardly-projecting track-bar 26, each of which is supported at itsforward end by a standard 27. Sleeved upon each of the track-bars is acarriage 28, provided with a bearing 29. Journaled at either end in thecarriages 28 is a rock-shaft 30, and fixed in said carriages is aparallel shaft 31.

Loosely mounted upon the shaft 30 are a plurality of bifurcatedgripper-heads 32, pro-' vided with rearwardly-projecting gripperjaws 33,and the heads 32 are tensionally keyed to the shaft 30 by means ofcoiled springs 34, one end of each of which is connected with one ofsaid heads and the other end of which is connected with one of aplurality of collars 35, fixed to said shaft by setscrews 36.

Mounted upon the shaft 30 are a plurality of gripper-heads 37, providedwith members 38, which are mounted upon the shaft 31, fitting thebifurcated heads 32 and provided with gripper-jaws 39, which, as clearlyshown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, project above the gripper-jaws 33. The heads37 are fixed to the fixed shaft 31 by set-screws 40. A bracket 41 isconnected with one of the carriages 28 and projects forwardly andupwardly therefrom and is provided with an upper slotted deflected endportion 42, through which is slidably passed an arm 43, pivoted at 43 inFig. 1 to a collar 44, which is fixed to the shaft 30, and a contractilespring 44 is passed upon the arm 43, being connected at its lower endwith the collar 44 and at its upper end with the deflected end of thebracket 41. The spring 44 normally maintains the shaft in such rotativeposition that the gripper-jaws 33 are slightly spaced from thegripper-jaws 39, as shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines. The shaft 30 isprovided adjacent the end thereof with which the collar 44 is connectedwith a projecting stud 45, and a thrust-arm 46, provided with anelongated slot 47, in which the stud 45 operates, extends rearwardly ofthe machine and is pivotally connected at 48 with a down wardlydirectedarm 49, which, as shown in Fig. 2, is pivoted at 50 in bracketsconnected with the frame member. The arm 49 is provided at its lower endwith a roller 50, which operatively engages a cam 51, (shown in fulllines in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines in Fig. 2,) and the cam 51 operatesto reciprocate the thrustarm 46. The arm 49 is provided with acontractile spring 49, connected therewith and with the frame member 17and which normally holds said arm in the position shown in the drawings.Connected pivotally at 52 with each of the carriages 28 is arearwardly-directed connectingrod 53, which engages pivotally at 53 withan oscillating arm 54, pivoted to the next adjacent upright 14 at 55.The oscillating arm 54 is operatively connected at 56 with an adjustablelink-pin 57, which is connected with an eccentric-strap 58, whichoperates in connection with an eccentric 59 upon the next adjacent endof the shaft 11, and the operation of the eccentrics 59 reciprocates thecarriages 28. The eccentrics 59 are set similarly upon the shaft 11. Adown wardlyand forwardly directed bracket 60 is connected with the underside of the casing 16, adjacent either end of said casing,

at 61 and is provided with a forwardly and rectangular-1y directedextension 62, and the with and closely adjacent the forward portion ofsaid belt. The extension 62 is similarly provided adjacent each endwith'a pair of curved hangers 68, provided with bearings 69, in which isjournaled a shaft 70, to which are fixed a pair of pulleys 71. A broadbelt is passed operatively about the pulleys 71 and travels exteriorlyof the bracket extension 62. That shaft 65 which is next adjacent theleft-hand end of the machine is provided at its lower end with abevel-gear 72, which meshes with a similar gear 73 upon the nextadjacent shaft 70, and the latter shaft is provided at its lower andrearmost end with a fixed ratchet-wheel 74, which is preferably ofseveral times the diameter of the bevel-gear 73, and the gears 73 and 72are of the same diameter.

An eccentric-strap 75 is operatively mounted upon an eccentric 76 uponthe powershaft 10 adjacent the gear 12, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, andoperatively and adjustably connected therewith at 77 is a lever-arm 78,which is pivoted to a bracket (shown in dotted lines at 79 in Figs. 1,2, and 3) and is operatively connected with a pawl-arm 80 by means of aball-and-socket joint 81. (Shown in dotted linesin Figs. 1, 2, and 3.)The pawlarm 80 passes through a loose bearing 82 in one of the endsupports 14, said bearing being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, andsaid pawl-arm 80 is provided at its outer end with a hook-shaped pawl83, which operates in connection with the ratchet-wheel 74. Theoperation of the eccentric 76 actuates said ratchet-wheel atpredetermined intervals to revolve the shafts 65 and 70 and move thebelts 67 and 70.

A rock-shaft 84 is journaled in brackets 85, secured to the frontportion and at the ends of the casing, and fixed thereto in alinementwith each of the vertical spaces 19 between the spaced frontcasing-walls 18 is a depending rearwardly-curved finger86, and the shaft84 is provided at the left-hand end, as shown in the drawings, with acollar 87, which carries an arm 88, which projects normally forwardly atan angle of less than ninety de grees with the fingers86.

Piroted to the arm 88 is an upwardly-directed link-rod 89, which at itsupper end is operatively connected with a lever 90, centrally pivoted at91 to the adjacent side of the casing 16. The beam-lever is laterallydeflected at its rearward end, as shown in Fig. 3, and is operativelyconnected with a depending connecting-rod 92, which passes through anopening in the frame member 17, and is provided at its lower end with aboss 93, (shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2,) which operates inconnection with an ordinary laterally-grooved cam-disk 94, fixed to themain shaft 11. The operation of the cam 94 serves to intermittentlyproject the fingers 86 through the front openings 19 in the casing 16and to pass under and slightly raise the forward end of the next to thelowermost of the book-sections 22 therein, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

As shown in Fig. 8, the power-shaft is provided with an ordinary slidingclutch 95, so installed that its operation will operatively disconnectall the operative parts of the machine with said power-shaft. Acrank-lever 96 is pivoted beneath the power-shaft at 97, the shorter arm98 thereof operatively engaging one member of the clutch and the longerarm 99 being provided with an adjustable weight 100. A standard 101 isarranged adjacent the shaft and carries an electromagnet102, providedwith a spring-projected armature 103, with which is connected an arm104, pivotally connected with a trigger-dog 105, pivoted to the standard101. The lever-arm 99 is provided with a catch-head 102, in connectionwith which said trigger-arm 105 operates to normally maintain said arm99 and weight 100 in elevated position to maintain the clutch 95 inoperative position, as shown in the drawings. The connection of the arm98 with the sliding member of the clutch 95 consists of a yoke 106,which operates in an annular groove 107 and may slide verticallytherein. It is manifest that if the trigger-dog 105 be detached from thecatch-head 102 the arm 99 will fall, operatively disconnecting theclutch members and stopping the motion of all parts of the machine.

The terminals of the winding of the electromagnet 102 are connected withinsulated linewires 108 and 109, the former of which is divided toreceive in circuit a battery or other source of electrical supply 110.The said line-wires are extended upwardly and supported by the upperportion of the casing 16 by binding-screws 111, whence they are droppedto and connected with the next adjacentcarriage 28 by binding-screws112, and are then strung from said last-mentioned carriagelongitudinally of the machine to'and connected with the other carriage28, with which they are connected by binding-screws 113, and the extremefree ends of the line-wires are left unconnected. As shown most clearlyin Fig. 7, the gripper-jaws 33 and 39 are provided with contact-buttons114 and 114, respectively, which are passed therethrough and fixedtherein, ands-aid contact-buttons are arranged to coengage when saidjaws are swung together. The gripper-jaws 33 are also provided withserrations or teeth 115 upon their upper surfaces. The line-wire 109 isprovided with a plurality of branch wires 116, each of which iselectrically connected with one of the contact-buttons 114 of one of thegripper-jaws 33, and the line-wire 108 is provided with a plurality ofbranch wires 1.17, each of which is electrically connected with one ofthe contact-buttons 114 of the gripper-jaws 39. It is manifest that iftwo of the contact-buttons 114 of two connected gripper-jaws 33 and 39be brought into contacta closed electrical circuit will be establishedthrough the connected branch wires 116 and 117, through the line-wires108 and 109, and through the electromagnet 102, causing the armature 103of the latter to be actuated and the lever-arm 99 to fall, whereby theclutch 95 is operated to disconnect the power-shaft 10 and the operativeparts of the machine.

The operation of my improved assemblingmachine will be evident from theforegoing description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

With the parts in the relative positions shown in the drawings and thepower-shaft 10 continuously revolving, the eccentrics 59 in connectionwith the eccentric-straps 58 swing the connecting-rods 53 and moverearwardly the carriages 28 upon the track-rods 26 and the shafts and31, and the gripperheads and gripper-jaws are moved rearwardlytherewith. Meanwhile the rock-shaft 84 is operated by the lever 90,connecting-rod 92, and cam 94 and connected parts, and the fingers 86are swung inwardly to engage and raise the forward edge portion of thebooksections 22, engaging directly with the next to the lowermost ofeach thereof in each of the compartments of the casing 16, and thescrews 24 are at the beginning adjusted to raise the forward edgeportions of the springplates 23 in said compartments. Consequently asthe gripper-jaws 33 and 39 are projected through the openings 19 at thebottom thereof and into said compartments the gripper-jaw 33, whichenters each compartment, engages with and slides over the forward edgeof the respective spring-plate 23 and under the book-section directlynext thereabove, and the corresponding gripperjaw 39 passes beneath thefinger 86, which operates within said compartment, and passes above thebook-section beneath whichthe corresponding gripper-jaw 33 passes Atthis phase of the operation of the machine the thrust-arm 46 is movedforwardly by the arm 49 and cam 51, and the stud 45, which operates inthe elongated slot 47, is moved by said thrust-arm 46 to slightly rockthe shaft 30, turning the collars 35, and by the connected springelements 34 tensionally turning the gripper-heads 32 and raising thegripper-jaws 33, tightly gripping the booksections between the fixedgripper-jaws 39 and said jaws 33, the teeth 115 slightly impinging uponthe said book-sections. Immediately subsequently, the actuating means ofthe carriages 28 commence to forwardly move the same, the gripper-jawsand connected parts, and the booksections clamped by the gripper-jaws.The fingers 86 are then withdrawn by the cam 94 from their engagementwith the book-sections raised thereby, and these book-sections fall,becoming in turn the bottom sections of the respective compartments. Asthe carriages 28 and the withdrawing book-sections move forwardly thethrust-arm 46 continues its forward movement, operating the stud tomaintain the shaft 30 in rocked position, whereby the gripper-jaws 33are caused to tightly clamp said book-sections, and this clamping of thelatter continues until they are brought directly over the belt 70"",when the cam 51 allows theth rust arm 46 to come to rest, and the spring4 causes the shaft 30 to rock, so as to depress the gripper-jaws 33 andallow the book-sections clamped thereby to fall in separate positionsupon the belt 70 and the inner edges of said sections to rest againstthe belt 67. The belts 67 and 70 are so relatively arranged as to form atrough-shaped receptacle for the book-sections, and the bracket andextension 62 form tables upon which the belts may move when weighteddown. A book-section will now rest upon the belts in front of eachcompartment, and we will presume, for the sake of exposition, that thereare four such compartments in the casing 16, although the drawings showbut two complete com partments, the machine being broken aparttransversely. It is therefore to be deduced that four book-sections willcomplete the book. The hooked pawl 83 and pawl-arm 80 are now retractedby the eccentric 76 and connected parts, and the ratchet-wheel 7a isturned, rotating the shaft 70, shaft 65, pulleys 71 and 66, and beltsand 67 to such an extent and in such direction that each book-section onthe belts is moved one stage to the right or into a posit-ion directlyin front of the next compartment of the casing 16 to the right, and whenthe gripper-jaws next deposit a book-section upon the belts in front ofeach compartment each of said sections will fall upon another moved intoposition to receive it, as above described, with the exception of thesection which is deposited upon the extreme left-hand portion of thebelt. Upon the first movement of the belts a single section will bedeposited from the right hand of the belts and incomplete books willsubsequently be formed embodying the sections first dropped from all butthe left-hand compartment. To avoid this error, in starting the machinea complete book is placed upon the extreme right-hand portion of thebelts, a three-sectioned book upon the belts in front of the secondcompartment, and a two-sectioned book upon the belts in front of thethird compartment. The machinewill then operate continuously andcorrectly, delivering complete four-sectioned books from the right-handends of the belts, and the complete books may be received and collectedby an attendant or a receptacle or conveyer of any suitable form.

To provide against the assembling of an incomplete book, theclutch-operating devices above described are provided. Should any pairof the gripper-jaws 33 and 39 fail to grip a book-section in one of thecompartments, the contact-buttons 114c and 114 thereof will coengage,closing an electrical circuit through the respective branch wires 116and 117, the circuit-wires 108 and 109 and the electromag- 4 tsetse net102 causing the armature 103 thereof to,

free the trigger-dog 105 from the catch-head 102 and lowering the arm99, which operates the clutch 95 to operatively disconnect the operativeparts of the machine from the powershaft 10.

I do not limit myself to the specific construction and arrangement ofparts as herein specified, but reserve the right to vary the same withinthe scope of my invention.

By means of the machine herein described the assembling of sections orparts of books and other articles may be readily, quickly, andaccurately performed and manual handling thereof avoided.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a machine of the class described, a movablesupport having a relatively movable element, a gripper carried by saidsupport and arranged to'engage the signatures, and means for moving saidsupport and said gripper,said gripper being provided with alooselymounted member which. is carried by said movable element, atensional element by means of which said loosely-mounted member isconnected with said movable element, said loosely-mounted member beingoperated through the medium of said tensional element, substantially asshown and described.

2. In a machine of the class described, a reciprocating carriage, a pairof shafts mounted therein and one of which is turnable, a gripperconsisting of two members, one of which is tensionally keyed to saidturnable shaft, and the other of which is fixed to the othershaft, saidturnable shaft being tensionally connected with said carriage, and meansfor turning said turnable shaft whereby said members are caused toengage with the signatures, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a machine of the class described, a carriage, a pair of shaftsmounted therein and one of which is turnable, a gripper supported bysaid shafts and comprising two members one of which is tensionally keyedto said turnable shaft, and the other of which is fixed to the other ofsaid shafts, each of said members being provided with a jaw, which jawscooperate to engage and grip the signatures, and means for operatingsaid turnable shaft, substantially as shown and described.

4:. A machine of the class described, comprising a container in whichthe signatures are stored in upright file, said container being providedwith a false adjustable bottom whereby the signatures may be raisedtherein, and with an opening in one wall, a movable support, a grippercarried thereby and comprising two members, one of which is movable,devices for partially raising allof said signatures but the one to begripped and withdrawn, and consisting of a pivoted finger arranged tooperate through said opening, means for operating said loosely-mountedgripper member,

means for operating said support, a movable conveyer arranged adjacentsaid container, and means for operating said conveyer, substantially asshown and described.

5. In a machine of the class described, a conveyer comprising a pair ofcontinuous belts, a bracket provided with hangers carrying pulleys uponwhich one of said belts travels, said bracket being provided with anangularly-directed extension provided with hangers carrying pulleys uponwhich the other of said belts travels, whereby a trough-shaped conveyeris provided, said bracket and extension being extended to form supportsabove which said belts pass in the uppermost phase of their movements,substantially as shown and described.

6. In a machine of the class described, means for supplying power, agripper device comprising two members which engage and withdraw thesignatures, and one of which is movable with relation to the other, saidmeans for supplying the power being provided with power-transmissiondevices whereby the same may be operati'vely disconnected from themachine, electromagnetic devices connected with said power-transmissiondevices, and electrically connected with said members of said gripperdevice, which latter members embody con tact devices arranged tomutually engage, whereby said power-transmission devices will beoperated, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a machine of the class described,

means for supplying power, a grip device comprising two members whichengage and withdraw the signatures, and one of which is movable withrelation to the other, said means for supplying the power being providedwith power-transmission devices whereby the same may be operativelydisconnected from the machine, said power-transmission devicescomprising a clutch, a bell-crank lever one arm of which is operativelyconnected with said clutch and the other arm of which is provided with aweight, and with a catchhead, an electromagnet provided with aspring-projected armature, and a pivoted trigger-dog which operates inconnection with said catch-head upon said lever-arm, and which isoperatively connected with said spring-projected armature, saidelectromagnetbeing electrically connected with a source of electricityand with said gripper members, which gripper members embody contactdevices, whereby said trigger-dog is disengaged from said catch-headupon coengagement of said gripper members, substantially as shown anddescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 22d day ofNovember, 1899.

WILLIAM ALLEN LA SOB.

Witnesses:

RAYMOND I. BLAKESLEE, V. M. VOSLER.

